The present invention relates to optical interconnect components and/or assemblies and, more particularly, to high performance optical interconnect components and/or assemblies.
Optical communication systems include optical fibers that transmit signals, for example, voice, video and/or data information. Optical fibers are capable of transmitting signals over a long distance with relatively small losses. Optical fibers preferably include a silica-based core that is operative to transmit light and is surrounded by a silica-based cladding generally having a lower index of refraction than the core. Generally, a soft primary coating surrounds the cladding, and a relatively rigid secondary coating surrounds the primary coating. Optical fibers can be single-mode or multi-mode and are, for example, commercially available from Corning Inc. of Corning, N.Y.
For practicality, optical communication systems require interconnects or jumpers between optical fibers and optical equipment and/or other optical fibers for quickly and conveniently connecting sections of fiber together, and rearranging if necessary. For example, a jumper cable may interconnect an optical cable with a transmitter or a receiver.
The present invention is directed to a fiber optic assembly including a plurality of single-mode optical fibers, the plurality of single-mode optical fibers having a core, a cladding, and a coating, at least one flexible polymeric material, the flexible polymeric material being associated with at least a portion of the plurality of single-mode optical fibers, and the plurality of single-mode optical fibers having a cladding outer diameter of about 125.0 xcexcmxc2x10.3 xcexcm.
The present invention is also directed to a fiber optic ribbon including eight single-mode optical fibers, the eight single-mode optical fibers having a core, a cladding, and a coating, the eight single-mode optical fibers being associated with a curable matrix, a width of the ribbon being about 2172 xcexcm or less, a height of the ribbon being about 360 xcexcm or less, the ribbon having a planarity of about 50 xcexcm or less, the ribbon having distal single-mode optical fibers, the distal single-mode optical fibers having a center to center distance of about 1834 xcexcm or less, and the eight single-mode optical fibers having a cladding outer diameter of about 125.0 xcexcmxc2x10.1 xcexcm.
The present invention is further directed to a fiber optic ribbon including twelve single-mode optical fibers, the twelve single-mode optical fibers having a core, a cladding, and a coating, the twelve single-mode optical fibers being associated with a curable matrix, a width of the ribbon being about 3220 xcexcm or less, a height of the ribbon being about 360 xcexcm or less, the ribbon having a planarity of about 75 xcexcm or less, the ribbon having distal single-mode optical fibers, the distal single-mode optical fibers having a center to center distance of about 2882 xcexcm or less, and the twelve single-mode optical fibers having a cladding outer diameter of about 125.0 xcexcmxc2x10.1 xcexcm.
The present invention also includes a fiber optic pigtail including at least one single-mode optical fiber, the at least one single-mode optical fiber having a core, a cladding, a coating, and a first end, at least one ferrule being attached to the first end of at least one single-mode optical fiber, the single-mode optical fiber having a cladding outer diameter of about 125.0 xcexcmxc2x10.3 xcexcm, a core to cladding concentricity of about 0.2 xcexcm or less, and a mode-field diameter of 9.2 xcexcmxc2x10.3 xcexcm at 1310 nm.
The present invention is also directed towards a fiber optic jumper cable including at least one single-mode optical fiber having a core, a cladding, a first end, and a second end, a first ferrule, a second ferrule, the first end of the at least one single-mode optical fiber being attached to the first ferrule and the second end of the at least one single-mode optical fiber being attached to the second ferrule, the at least one single-mode optical fiber having a cladding outer diameter of about 125.0 xcexcmxc2x10.3 xcexcm, a core to cladding concentricity of about 0.2 xcexcm or less, and a mode-field diameter of about 9.2 xcexcmxc2x10.3 xcexcm at 1310 nm.
The present invention is also directed to a tight-buffered optical fiber assembly including at least one single-mode optical fiber having a core, a cladding, a first end, and a second end, a tight-buffered jacket, a first ferrule, a portion of the tight-buffered jacket surrounding a portion of the at least one single-mode optical fiber, the first end of the at least one single-mode optical fiber being attached to the first ferrule, and the at least one single-mode optical fiber having a cladding outer diameter of about 125.0 xcexcmxc2x10.3 xcexcm, a core to cladding concentricity of about 0.2 xcexcm or less, and a mode-field diameter of about 9.2 xcexcmxc2x10.3 xcexcm at 1310 nm.
The present invention also includes a method of manufacturing a fiber optic assembly including the steps of selecting a plurality of single-mode optical fibers having a cladding outer diameter of about 125.0 xcexcmxc2x10.3 xcexcm, and applying at least one flexible polymeric material to at least a portion of said plurality of single-mode optical fibers.
The present invention is also directed towards a flexible optical circuit including at least one single-mode optical fiber having a core, a cladding, a first end, and a second end, a first flexible substrate, a second flexible substrate, the at least one single-mode optical fiber being interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the at least one single-mode optical fiber having a cladding outer diameter of about 125.0 xcexcmxc2x10.3 xcexcm, a core to cladding concentricity of about 0.2 xcexcm or less, and a mode-field diameter of about 9.2 xcexcmxc2x10.3 xcexcm at 1310 nm.